Meet Greensboro's Mayoral Candidates: Nancy Vaughan

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Three people are vying to be in charge of Greensboro, but it's up to voters to choose. The mayoral race primary is Tuesday, Oct. 8, and WFMY News 2 wants to make sure you are informed on where the candidates stand.

The Good Morning Show is sitting down with each candidate for three minutes this week. Each will get a chance to answer a set of prepared questions live on the show.

"I really think that we need to get back to basics. To look at our infrastructure, jobs and economic development have to be number one and public safety. After the last Census, it turns out that Greensboro is ranked number 11 in the state for per capita income, and that is just not acceptable. We have fallen behind High Point and Burlington, and we are below the state average. So we really have to focus our efforts. We need a laser-focused effort on jobs and economic development."

Every mayor has an agenda, so what are your plans for the first six months of office?

"The first six months I'm going to focus on jobs and economic development. I'm going to work with all of our economic development partnerships: the Piedmont Triad Partnership, the chamber, downtown Greensboro to see what it is that we can do to help affect change."

What are the top two issues you see facing Greensboro right now, and how would you meet them head-on?

"Jobs and economic development, obviously, because that really is the key issue. You know, the question was asked, are you better now than you were two years ago, and I think some people are better off. But certainly there is a segment of our population which is really struggling. You know, not only do we have unemployment, we have underemployment. And in the eastern part of the city, their per capita income is about half of what it is for the rest of the city. So that is something that we really need to focus on. And then infrastructure, specifically what are we going to do with our long-term solid waste issues."

As mayor, how do you plan to work with other Triad cities to make Greensboro better?

"A regional approach is very important, but you do have to make sure that we are not sacrificing Greensboro in the sake of regionalism. But I do think that we have a lot of things that we can work together on, such as a solid waste issue and economic development."

Vaughan did agree to come back for a series of discussions if there is a run-off election.

Wednesday, the Good Morning Show will talk one-on-one with mayoral candidate George Hartzman. Current Greensboro mayor, Robbie Perkins, will join the show Thursday.